Development and Progress as Historical Phenomena in Tanzania: “Maendeleo? We Had That in the Past”

Article


Ahearne, R. 2016. Development and Progress as Historical Phenomena in Tanzania: “Maendeleo? We Had That in the Past”. African Studies Review. 59 (1), pp. 77-96.
AuthorsAhearne, R.
Abstract

Academic discussions of development continue to grow, yet critical engagements with communities affected by development interventions remain limited. Drawing from life history interviews conducted in southern Tanzania, this article details the varied experiences of development interventions among older people and how these affect broader understandings of progress. Many juxtapose their negative views of ujamaa villagization with more positive recollections of previous interventions (especially the Groundnut Scheme), which are infused with what is described here as “development nostalgia.” Perceptions of the past clearly inform the social, political, and economic aspirations forwarded today, with the richness of the constructed narratives adding further nuance to existing depictions of Tanzanian historiography.

KeywordsTanzania; Mtwara; development; Groundnut Scheme; villagization; ujamaa
JournalAfrican Studies Review
Journal citation59 (1), pp. 77-96
ISSN0002-0206
Year2016
PublisherCambridge Journals
Accepted author manuscript
Web address (URL)http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=10266497&fileId=S0002020616000093
Publication dates
Print05 Apr 2016
Publication process dates
Deposited13 May 2016
Accepted22 Feb 2016
Copyright informationMaterial on these pages is copyright Cambridge University Press or reproduced with permission from other copyright owners. It may be downloaded and printed for personal reference, but not otherwise copied, altered in any way or transmitted to others (unless explicitly stated otherwise) without the written permission of Cambridge University Press. Hypertext links to other Web locations are for the convenience of users and do not constitute any endorsement or authorisation by Cambridge University Press.
LicenseAll rights reserved
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